Every Mask a Different Shade
by LitLover 101
Summary: Elena Gilbert has never been in love. Damon Salvatore no longer believes in love. Rebekah just wants to have fun. Klaus wants his sister to behave. Matt thinks this is just a job. Caroline is trying to help her ex, Matt, but feels like a screw up. Jenna's not sure why she's there. Alaric wasn't expecting to enjoy the party this much. It's Halloween.


Elena Gilbert has never been in love. Damon Salvatore no longer believes in love. Rebekah just wants to have fun. Klaus wants his sister to behave. Matt thinks this is just a job. Caroline is trying to help her ex, Matt, but feels like a screw up. Jenna's not sure why she's there. Alaric wasn't expecting to enjoy the party this much. It's Halloween.

********Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries TV show. That honor goes to Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson.********

**Hello, my lovely readers. This is a requested story for Alexis2106. I hope that you enjoy it although it is looonnnnngggg. But most love stories don't happen overnight. But some do. **** On with the show…**

**Every Mask a Different Shade: **

How old do you have to be before Halloween is no longer the _greatest_ night of the year? This was the question that Elena Gilbert had asked herself year after countless year. She had just graduated from college and had spent the summer at a writers' retreat to sit around and try to finish her book. It was a love story. _Not_ a romance. This was not one of those dress ripping novels with a sexy, bare chested man on the cover. No, this was an understated piece of work that would make you feel the pain of subtle love that creeps into your veins, but once it was there it would set your world ablaze. Rebekah said it could be _The_ _Notebook_ for the twenty-first century. Elena didn't bother to mention that _The_ _Notebook_ had been written in the twenty-first century.

The only problem was that Elena had never been in love. Not to the extent that her character was supposed to be. She had loved. She had loved Matt Donavon, to an extent, all the way through high school. But she never loved him the way that he deserved to be loved, with every fiber of her being. Her heart did not accelerate at the sight of Matt. Her body did not overheat when he was touching her. Her mind did not completely melt when he was looking into her eyes to the point that she would have to ask him to repeat what he had said. No one had ever made her feel that way. She didn't think they ever would.

"Damon, are you _ever_ going to get ready for this party that Nik is throwing?" Stefan Salvatore, Damon's little brother, called into his bedroom and Damon scowled at his appearance. He hated getting dressed in one of these monkey suits.

Pulling the black mask on, Damon walked out of the bedroom to glower at his brother. "Happy _now_?" he snapped and Stefan grinned happily. Why in the hell he was even invited to this party was beyond Damon. He and Klaus Mikaelson had never seen eye to eye on anything. Maybe it had something to do with Klaus wanting to put the whole Katherine thing behind all of them. Damon had put Katherine far behind him with every other woman that he met.

Klaus didn't seem to be that hard up when it came to the ladies himself, so why would he care if he and Damon were getting along? Unless this was some kind of elaborate revenge plot. Damon gritted his teeth. Maybe he should just blow this stupid party off altogether. But Stefan had asked if Damon would go in his place since he had medical exams to study for and even taking one night off seemed to be _too_ much.

"Have fun and don't be late. And _don't_ kill Nik. He's not a total _asshole_ like you said last week," Stefan said as he hugged Damon like this was the last time he would ever see him. Hell, for all Damon knew this was the _last_ time that Stefan would ever see him.

"I said it _yesterday_, too," Damon pointed out with a smirk.

"Yeah," Stefan said as he pulled the door open and Damon was forced to walk through it. "Maybe you'll meet the love of your life tonight," he said. Damon was shocked that Stefan did not sound sarcastic.

"_Sure_ I will. And I'm also going to be the next mayor or munchkinville," Damon retorted as he closed the door. Damon. Fall in love. Sure. What a joke. Whatever fool came up with that idea could keep smoking the good stuff while he went to deal with the devil.

"Bekah, are you done _yet_?" Klaus yelled irritably and Rebekah looked at her reflection before wiping the lip gloss off. It wasn't the right shade. And she did _so_ want it to be the right one. She was a freshman in college and this was the first party that her brother, Nik, had invited her to since he moved out of the house, even though he had been living on his own for six years.

"I'm _almost_ done. No need to get your knickers in a twist," Rebekah snapped back. Klaus, or as she liked to call him, Nik, could be a brute when he wanted to be. And this was no exception as he rattled the door knob and Rebekah angrily rolled her eyes.

"Do you have to insist on spending _half_ the bloody year in there? I need to piss," Klaus snarled and Rebekah chuckled before she replied.

"Then go and ask a neighbor if you may use their loo," she called to which Klaus began to violently beat and kick the door. Giggling, Rebekah opened the door to find her brother looking rather red in the face as he smoothed his hair back and then looked her over.

"You're not wearing that dress. It's far _too_ low cut. And your makeup makes you look common," Klaus snapped before heading to the toilet, without even closing the door. Brute.

Walking into the hallway, Rebekah stared at the ceiling. "I am an adult. I may wear what I _please_. And I please to wear _this_ dress," she called out loudly, her voice an octave or two higher than she would like it to be. It sounded like she was a petulant, little girl and she had not been a little girl in a very long time.

Coming to stand in the doorway, Klaus zipped his pants while glaring at Rebekah through narrowed eyes. "You will not dress like a slut in _my_ home. Do you understand me, Rebekah," he replied darkly before returning to the room and she could hear the water go on.

Feeling tears prick her eyelids, she walked back to her room, or rather the guest room. Closing the door, she walked over to the bed and sat down heavily. She started to sob uncontrollably before getting up and unzipping the dress. Feeling the fabric leave her body, Rebekah laid down on the bed, sideways, and curled into the fetal position as Klaus began to rattle the knob. "_Bekah_," he called.

Reaching for her phone on the nightstand, Rebekah blinked away tears until she found the YouTube app and searched out Katy Perry. Turning the volume all the way up, she rolled onto her side and felt her body beginning to relax as the music drowned the sounds of her awful brother, out.

Walking away from the door, Klaus ran his hands through his hair. If only Elijah or even mother were here they could get through to Rebekah. Couldn't she tell that he was doing things _for_ her? That is in her _best_ interest to _not_ present herself to the people that would be attending tonight's festivities as nothing more than another shallow girl with so little class that she would place her body on display for any _low_ man to think himself worthy of her. Rebekah was a queen, a goddess that walked the earth. And Klaus would be damned if just any man would have her. Even if he had to let her wallow in her misery all night.

Sighing heavily, Klaus walked downstairs. It was time and the first guests should be arriving. He heard the bell chime and walked to the door. Opening it, he found his former college professor, Alaric Saltzman. Certainly not the first person that he was expecting, but certainly not a face that he was unhappy to see. "Mr. Saltzman," Klaus greeted the man who smiled widely.

"Klaus Mikaelson. I see the world is treating you _well_. And you can call me Ric since I haven't been your teacher since you were a freshman," the older man said and then held out a bottle of bourbon.

"Ah, nineteen twenty. I see that you have fine taste and can afford the better things that life has to offer, on a teacher's salary no less. Color me impressed," Klaus said as he held out the bottle and grinned.

Alaric shrugged. "Actually that was a gift from another student. I think you know him, Damon Salvatore. Turns out I have a 'drinking problem' and had to seek help so that the school wouldn't let me go. I found that bottle hiding in the back of one of my cabinets and I decided that I didn't want to see it go to waste."

Klaus nodded. "I assure you it will not. And Damon shall be arriving some time tonight. According to Stefan. However, Damon does as Damon pleases; therefore we will have to wait and see," he said with a smirk as Alaric examined his newest painting.

"Is this one of _yours_?" Alaric asked as the doorbell rang again and a young woman was at the door who looked remarkably like Katherine, so much so that it made Klaus swallow with difficulty, before he forced a pleasant smile on his face.

"Hello?" Klaus greeted the woman who smiled back at him.

"Hi, I'm Elena Gilbert. Your sister, Rebekah, invited me and said I could bring a plus one," the girl said tentatively.

That sounded familiar. Klaus was almost sure that he had heard the name Elena Gilbert during one of his telephone calls with his sister. "Yes, do come in. And is this your plus one?" he inquired before taking the hand of the blonde woman she was with who was more Alaric's age than Elena's, causing the poor woman to blush when he lightly kissed the back of her hand.

"Yes. This is my aunt," Elena said and grinned at the woman who was still blushing but rolled her eyes at her niece.

"I'm Jenna Sommers," Jenna informed Klaus and then her gaze drifted to Alaric and did not falter. Klaus' eyes moved between the pair and he smirked.

"Alaric Saltzman, this is Jenna Sommers and her niece, Elena Gilbert. If you would all like to take a right turn, there are refreshments and food set out. You're a bit early so the caters will not be here for another fifteen minutes," Klaus called as the doorbell rang again and he was back to greeting more guests as the first three disappeared out of sight.

Matt Donavon was late. And it was all his ex-girlfriend, Caroline Forbes' fault. They had dated for two years in college, but had called it quits when she decided that she liked his best friend, Tyler Lockwood, better. That had been enough for Matt to decide to get the hell away from both of them. He had a new job and a new life in New York. Of course, living in New York was expensive and that meant that he had three jobs - one where he was a bartender, one where he was a waiter at an upscale Italian place owned by friend of a friend and another with a catering service. The last job was why he was in this damned truck, stuck in traffic.

Matt was going to get fired because he was late to a very important client's party. And, as he said, it was his ex-girlfriend's fault. Why? Because he had been stupid enough, _wrong enough, _when said ex-girlfriend could not make it into acting in L. A. to allow her to talk him into helping her into a job with his catering company. Now, said ex-girlfriend was going to help him out of his job, his apartment and his new life while she swore she had copied down the directions to the client's home correctly.

"Matt. Matt. Matt! I'm so sorry," Caroline shouted at him as Matt groaned, staring out at the traffic as sweat poured down the sides of his face. It was far too hot for a day in October. Thank you, global warming. "Matt, please, look at me! I'll tell them that it was my fault! I'm sure that Shelia will understand. She's been running this business for like a _million_ years. It's _not_ that big a deal."

"Not that _big_ a deal?" Matt yelled back finally turning to look at Caroline, feeling furious. "This is a _huge_ deal, Caroline. This is my _life_. And you can just go home and live with your mom. But _me_, _what_ do I have to go home to? I don't have a home. My mom took off to who knows where. My dad is dead. My sister ran away eight years ago. _What_ do I have to go home to?"

Sitting back in her seat, Caroline began to bite her lower lip as tears pooled in her eyes and Matt felt like kicking himself. "I will tell them that it is all _my_ fault. Okay, Matt? Because I'm the one who always messes _everything_ up. _Okay_? The traffic _is_ moving," she mumbled before hiccupping a sob and Matt was able to move the truck into a spot close to the door of the house that their client lived in.

Getting out of the truck, Matt began to pull out boxes of champagne from the back. Caroline came around the side to help him but he shook his head. "Go upstairs, find Mr. Mikaelson and let him know that we're here," Matt ordered the normally perky blonde whose shoulders slumped as he looked through the back of the truck. He really hoped that the man did not chew Caroline out, but Matt had heard horror stories about the temper of Klaus and did not want to be on his bad side. That's probably why he sent the pretty blonde, who was already crying up to deal with the wolf. Probably. But if she wasn't down in twenty, he would go after her. Probably.

Hesitating at the door, Caroline lifted her fist and knocked. She was slightly shocked when the devil answered the door. He grinned down at her and examined her uniform that consisted of a white shirt that she had hopefully not been sweating through, black pants and a little black vest. She thought it looked cute on her, but _who_ knew what this man thought. "Hello, I'm with Bennett Catering and I'm looking for Mr. Mikaelson?" Caroline said with her best "can do" smile.

The man smirked back at her. "_Really_? I think that Mr. Mikaelson is somewhere around here. But he seems to be _really_ busy. Perhaps I could help you with something?"

Caroline bit her lip. "Well, we're _kind_ of late because traffic _sucked_ and we were _seriously_ shorthanded today. So, if you don't think it'd be a problem then we're going to bring the food up now."

"Oh, I think I can handle Mr. Mikaelson," the devil said with another smirk that made a shiver run up Caroline's spine as she grinned in response. Maybe she could save the day after all. "You said you're shorthanded?"

"Yes," Caroline replied as the man followed her out the door.

"May I be of assistance then?" he asked and Caroline lit up.

"That would be _great_. This guy ordered like a _ton_ of food and _so_ much champagne. You'd think he was entertaining the President," Caroline said and then looked at the man. "You didn't tell me what your name is."

"I'm… Elijah Mikaelson," the man said and Caroline grinned. She liked that name and he seemed nice.

"It's nice to meet you, Elijah. I'm Caroline Forbes," Caroline replied as Elijah took her hand and kissed the back.

"The pleasure is _all_ mine," he said with a wink and she giggled as they headed toward the truck.

Laughing, Elena swirled her glass of champagne and adjusted her grey mask as she listened to Alaric's discussing some sort of expedition into the English countryside and having been robbed by "highway" men. It shouldn't have been funny but the way that Alaric told it was and Jenna was all ears. She had even abstained from her glass of wine when he admitted that he had been in AA for three years. They seemed to be really hitting it off. The only thing that Elena was wondering about now was where Rebekah was.

Rebekah's brother had not said a word about where she was and had disappeared and then re-appeared with the caterers. Oddly, he seemed to be helping them set up and Elena could swear that one of the caterers was her high school boyfriend, Matt. They hadn't kept in touch like they swore they would when they made the transition from boyfriend - girlfriend to just friends.

Hearing the doorbell peel, Elena looked around for Klaus but he was nowhere in sight. Elena was sure that Rebekah's brother, Kol, was not here and she would know him anywhere because he would be drunk and grabbing someone's ass. As for her other brothers, Elena had never met them. She hadn't even met Klaus before this and she doubted she could identify him in a line up, since he had a mask on that covered most of his face.

Sighing, Elena walked to the door and opened it to see the most beautiful male face she had ever seen in this close a proximity before. Her hands began to sweat and her heart began to pound so loudly that she felt shocked that he did not hear it. Holy shit. 'What was going on?' she wondered when everything went black.

Damon was bored as he stood outside the door to Klaus' little shindig. _Stupidest_ idea that he had ever allowed Stefan to talk him into before. 'Note to self. Never, ever, _ever_ allow Stefan to talk him into something again. _Ever_," Damon thought with a shake of his head as he hit the door bell and waited and waited and waited for the jackass himself to let him in. Right as he raised his finger to hit the infernal bell once more, the door swung open to reveal Katherine Pierce and Damon felt his jaw tighten.

Somehow Damon should have known that Klaus was not a man of his word. No, that was Elijah. Katherine had come into all of their lives, like a tornado and demolished Damon's, Stefan's, Klaus' and Elijah's better senses and made all four brothers, and who knew how many others, fall in love with her. How could Damon believe that Klaus would not fall under her spell _again_? She had been very convincing the first time around. Why not go for a round two?

However, as Damon looked at Katherine, he had to admit that it was not likely that age at twenty-five she would undergo plastic surgery to look twenty-two again. Nor would the Katherine he knew ever dye her hair. And this girl had blonde in her hair. The way her lips opened and her eyes widened like she had never seen him before, but was in awe of what she was looking at was definitely not Katherine. She would have been smirking. And when she dropped to the floor in a heap of billowy grey satin, Damon was sure that somehow this woman was not Katherine.

Picking her up, Damon carried her over to the first seat that he found on the edge of the party. When a young woman with blonde hair came by with a box filled with champagne, Damon reached out an arm, stopping her in her tracks. "I _need_ one of those," he told the girl who was obviously one of the caterers.

The girl eyed him suspiciously. "It looks like your friend already had enough," she said bluntly while Damon rolled his eyes and reached for the box. Taking it, he ripped a hole and then pulled out a bottle.

"She fainted," Damon snapped as he took the cork between his teeth and yanked it out before spitting it on the floor. "Bring some food and a wet towel. _Please_," he barked at the girl who rolled her eyes and walked away. Prying the woman who looked like Katherine's mouth open, Damon poured a little bit of champagne into her mouth. He was hoping that it was that she hadn't eaten or drunk anything and that this was not an emergency problem.

After a long, tense moment the woman opened her eyes and Damon smiled at her. "Hi," he said as he took a sip from the opened bottle.

"Hi," the woman replied and then she blushed. "Did I faint? Because, that is like some kind of cliché from a novel in the nineteenth century."

"Yeah, if only they still made couches for that very reason," Damon quipped.

"But that was because women couldn't breathe in their garments," she told him with a serious expression and a twinkle in her eye.

"Well maybe that's your problem. We really _ought_ to get you out of that dress," Damon told her with a grin.

The woman rolled her eyes. "That would _not_ be very modest of me," she told him airily.

"_Really_? And are you a _modest_ woman, Miss?" Damon retorted with a huge grin.

"Miss Gilbert. Elena Gilbert. And, _yes_, most of the time. Not _all_ of the time," she told Damon. "And what's your name?"

"Damon Salvatore," he whispered in awe with Elena as she smiled at him with that twinkle. He wanted to spend the rest of his life being the reason for that twinkle. Or at the very least, being there to watch it. "Tell me about these other times that you're _not_ modest, E-len-a," he drew her name out and felt pleased when she blushed again.

"I brought the food and towel. Is there anything else you'd like, your royal hind ass?" the catering girl asked with a glare directed at Damon but he didn't bother to snap back like he might otherwise.

"I didn't know you were royalty," Elena quipped with a laugh as she took the plate and the towel. She turned to the girl who looked her age. "Thank you. By the way. Is the guy with you, is that Matt Donovan?"

The girl looked at Elena for a long moment. "Yeah, that's Matt. How do you know him?"

"We're childhood friends," Elena said quietly.

The girl nodded with her lips pursed before she smiled tightly. "Well, if he's not _too_ busy then maybe you two can catch up," she snapped before walking away.

Damon and Elena looked at each and began to laugh for no reason at all before she began to eat and Damon snagged bits of food off her plate. Looking up, he caught a glimpse of Klaus serving his own guests and checking out snippy catering girl's ass. Oh, yeah, that girl was in _so_ much trouble as the host followed her around the room like a lost puppy. Looking at Elena, Damon found that she was watching the odd couple as well and soon they were both laughing again.

On the other side of the room from where Damon and Elena were, Jenna was leaning against a wall with Alaric's hand over her hand. He was telling her about a trip to Europe that the college he was working at was funding. It sounded like it was supposed to be a research trip, but the way that he was talking about it all Jenna could think about was Tuscan villas and beaches in Greece. Sun, surf and sex. Yes, she could see him with a nice tan in a little pair of shorts, writing away as she proved to be a distraction.

Right at that moment Alaric was playing with the red mask on his face and she stared up at him through her blue one. "What are you supposed to be?" Alaric asked her.

"An angel. But I forget my wings," Jenna said with a shrug. "And what are you?"

"An over worked, underpaid lawyer who couldn't afford a real costume," Alaric told her and she started to laugh when he closed the distance and kissed her gently on the lips.

When Alaric pulled away, Jenna blew out a long breath. "If you could get paid for kissing I doubt you would be _underpaid_."

"Is that a hint that I should quit my day job and become a gigolo?" Alaric replied with a grin and Jenna giggled. Apparently she did not need booze to become tipsy, because talking to Alaric was working just fine.

"No, because I want you all to _myself_," Jenna said and then wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

"Hey, get a room you two," a voice called and Jenna looked over to see a young man headed toward them with his arm linked with her niece's. Elena was glowing and Jenna wondered who this guy was. She would definitely be questioning him before they left the party. He could turn out to be a serial killer.

While the party was underway, Rebekah woke up to find that her play list had run out. Turning the app off, she yawned and got to her feet, grabbing her mask, she snuck out of her room and hurried to the bathroom. Fixing the damage to her make up quickly, Rebekah walked out and down the hallway. She was dressed in a light pink slip and had seen girls younger than she was running about this way on Halloween night. Besides this is what Nik had asked for. With all of his bloody boring guests running about, she doubted that he would even notice her presence amongst them.

Rebekah was truly shocked when she noticed that her brother was serving his guests. Damn. Maybe he would not notice her as he moved about the room, never straying more than three feet from the side of a tall, blonde girl who was bubbling over with perk. Narrowing her eyes, Rebekah darted through the guests and right behind Klaus' back who she heard the girl call Elijah with a giggle. "Idiot," Rebekah muttered as she slipped into the kitchen.

Rebekah felt her body stiffen when she noticed a blonde man putting together another tray of champagne. He looked up at Rebekah and he looked as shocked as she felt. "Hi," he said and Rebekah had no idea what to do.

Moving slowly toward the opposite side of the breakfast bar, Rebekah stared at the man. "Hi," she replied shyly.

"Are you here for the party? Because you _don't_ look like you're exactly dressed for it," the man said and Rebekah crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'm here because this is _my_ brother's house and I will dress however I _please_. If I want to take off the rest of my clothes and prance about in the nature that I was born in, then I shall do that, too," she snapped venomously and the man had the nerve to laugh at her. Feeling her cheeks burn, Rebekah snatched a glass off the tray and walked around to sit on the kitchen counter. "And _who_ are you to tell me what to do?" she said as she looked him over. He did have a nice ass for all of his nasty behavior.

The man turned to stare at her with a grin. He had the _nerve_ to stare at her like that. Who the _hell_ did he think he was? "I'm Matt. Matt Donavon. And are you going to tell me your first name, or do I have to tell Klaus that his underage sister is getting drunk in his kitchen?"

Glaring at Matt, Rebekah waved her glass at him before she poured the rest of it down her throat. "I'm Rebekah, and I will drink as much as I want. Thank you," she told Matt who rolled his eyes.

"_Really_? Fine. Have another," Matt said, taking another glass, he exchanged it for her empty one. "After all I'm sure that my ex is trying to get me fired by pissing off your brother right now."

"Your _ex_?" Rebekah felt confused. Who was this man's bloody ex? And why in the bloody hell did she even care?

"Yeah, little blonde. She's out there working the party," Matt said as he poured out another bottle.

"The _little_ blonde in the vest that Nik's eyes were glued to her bum and she's under the impression that he's my other older brother, Elijah, because Nik is playing yet another game and being a wanker as par usual, that is you're _ex-girlfriend_?" Rebekah said so quickly that she could barely breathe when she was done and Matt's eyes were huge. "Bugger."

As Matt's mouth opened to ask a question, the door opened as well and Rebekah leapt off the counter as the chipper blonde's voice as well as Nik's came inside and Rebekah knelt behind Matt, with her face resting against his warm back. He smelled nice and she resisted the urge to stroke his leg as she smiled into his shirt. "Hey," Matt greeted the laughing host and his ex-girlfriend. "Need more champagne?"

"No, we're taking a break," the giggling blonde replied. "Elijah here is so great at this. If he ever loses all his money than he can always turn this into a fall back job."

"Yes, love, I will keep that in mind," Klaus replied with a laugh of his own.

"So, there's _nothing_ anyone wants in there?" Matt inquired as Rebekah could no longer resist her impulses and maybe the champagne had gone to her head as she slid her hand up the bottom of his pants' leg. Matt jumped slightly.

"Are you _okay_, Matt?" the blonde asked and Matt shook his head.

"I'm good. Just a little bit tired," he replied.

"Perhaps you should take a break," Klaus suggested.

"_Me_?" Matt replied. "I think that you should be the one to take a break. You're the ones who've been working the party. I think that you should go out and enjoy the night. It's Halloween after all."

The blonde laughed. "_Sure_. I'm _totally_ dressed to mix and mingle in this outfit."

"My sister might have something that would suit you," Klaus said smoothly and Rebekah's instinct was to shoot up from behind the counter and tell him that he would not be dressing his little tart of the day in her clothing when Matt placed his hand on her head and shoved her back down. Oh, he would pay for that when they were gone.

"_Really_? That is _too_ much, Elijah," the tart said and Rebekah growled under her breathe as Matt coughed to cover up the sound.

Soon the door opened and closed and then Rebekah was on her feet and smacked his chest. "What in the bloody hell?" she snapped.

"Did you want him to catch you like _this_?" Matt snapped and Rebekah snarled. She started to leave the room when Matt grabbed her and held her still. "If you leave now then you risk him finding you. He's probably in the hallway while Caroline dresses."

"Oh, _really_?" Rebekah scoffed. "Or maybe Nik will be in the room with her while she undresses and then you know what will happen? Because I know my brother _rather_ well."

Shaking his head, Matt began to curse under his breath before he took Rebekah's wrist and pulled her out the door. "We're going to go find them. And if I get fired then you're going to explain to my boss what happened tonight, okay?"

"Why the hell not," Rebekah muttered as they headed through the party and toward staircase.

Matt could not believe that he was risking getting fired from one of his jobs because some rich guy's spoiled sister claimed that he was going to try to seduce his ex-girlfriend. Caroline was _plenty_ old enough to take care of herself. Then he looked down the hall to see the man standing outside the door to what Matt assumed was Rebekah's room. Looking at Rebekah this suspicion was only confirmed when he noticed that she was glaring at Klaus. The host was opening the door to his sister's bedroom slowly.

Shooing Rebekah into a nearby closet, Matt decided to make his presence known. "Ahem," Matt called with a loud cough. Klaus head snapped up. "Caroline left her watch that she always wears and I was going to give it to her real quickly," Matt informed Klaus with fake cheer.

"Oh," Klaus said and took a step back from the door. "I was just about to ask her if she needed help finding something. Rebekah has many charms but organization is not one of them." Taking a step away, Klaus smiled. "I think I shall retire to my guests."

Matt nodded before knocking on Rebekah's door as Klaus took his time leaving the hallway. Caroline opened the door and she was wrapped in a towel. 'Was she in there showering? What in the hell kind of person was Klaus?' Matt wondered, trying to keep the murderous thoughts off of his face.

"Hey, Matt," Caroline greeted Matt as Klaus disappeared and Rebekah came out of the closet and stormed down the hallway. Before Matt could say anything else Rebekah was pushing Caroline out of the way. "What the hell? _Who_ are you?" Caroline demanded as she tightened the towel around her body.

"I'm Rebekah Mikaelson. Charmed, I'm sure," Rebekah said disdainfully as she glared at her dresses on the floor. "And you can forget thinking that you're going to wear one of my gowns to Nik's infernal party."

"You're Elijah's wife?" Caroline asked in a whisper.

"God no," Rebekah wrinkled her nose. "Sister and that wanker is Niklaus, not Elijah. Elijah has brown hair and brown eyes. And his hair is bloody straight and he does not shag the hired help."

"No one was shagged," Caroline protested. "And what do you mean that's Niklaus? Who is _Niklaus_?"

"Is she always this _slow_ witted?" Rebekah exclaimed with a scoff and an eye roll directed at Matt as she took her dresses and placed them on hangers.

"I am _not_ slow," Caroline yelled, her face turning red.

"Could have fooled me," Rebekah replied with a smirk. Grabbing a blue dress, she threw it to Caroline. "You may wear that one. I already did and I hate to appear in public in the same thing twice."

Matt shook his head as Caroline went into Rebekah's bathroom to dress. He turned to leave when Rebekah called to him. "_Where_ are you going? I thought that we were having a lovely time."

"Sorry, Rebekah. I'm the hired help, so I'm going back to the kitchen where I belong," Matt told her.

"I didn't mean _you_," Rebekah shouted but he was already out the door and barely heard her. He didn't really care.

Klaus was keeping an eye out for Caroline when the girl appeared at the edge of the room with a blue dress on that showcased her curves. She had paired it with a black mask that was edged in lace. What shocked him was that she was arm in arm with another blonde in a white mask and pink slip. He could swear that the girl was Bekah but surely she would not have the nerve to appear like that in was _his_ house, at one of _his_ parties.

Seething in rage, Klaus moved through the crowd to get to his wayward sister only to find out it was not her when he was a foot from her and that Caroline was glaring at him. Where her looks had been friendly and open, they were now dark and closed off. "Hello, _Niklaus_ Mikaelson," she said with venom laced in her tone.

"Caroline," Klaus began when she reared back and slapped him, hard.

"The worst thing that you could do is lie. You can be rude, pompous and a bore and still be better than a liar. Because when someone is a liar you _never_ know who they really are and they can change every single time," Caroline spat.

"Give me another chance. Get to know me, Caroline," Klaus pleaded.

"_Why_? So you make me like you again and then pull out yet another mask to exchange and say 'No, this is the _real_ me.' It's a game for you, isn't it? I don't know who it is that made you this twisted but I hope that I _never_ meet them," Caroline snapped. "Thank you, Rebekah, for allowing me to wear this dress and I will have it dry cleaned for you and ready by tomorrow."

"Just _one_ dance, Caroline," Klaus said quietly. "Just one dance with the monster that made your Halloween so awful and then you may leave. Besides Matt will need help packing up and I will send someone to help the two of you if you do me this one favor?"

Caroline's cheeks puffed outward and Klaus could feel the gazes of his many guests on him. "Fine. One dance. Then we're leaving and we are never going to see each other _again_. And I repeat we are _never_ going to _ever_ cater for you again either. Got it?" Caroline hissed and Klaus nodded, holding out his hand.

When Caroline took it, he relaxed as he placed a hand on her lower back and they began to move about the room in an age old waltz in spite of the music that was from the current time period. That was more to satisfy his guests than himself. He could give a damn about what they thought as his eyes stayed on Caroline's face who refused to look at him. "I am _not_ a monster, Caroline. I am an artist and not many people strike me as you have tonight. I pretended to be my brother because I have had many a female admirer admire me for my money _solely_."

"Now, why would they do that when you have such a _charming_ personality?" Caroline snarled through gritted teeth. "You sure charmed me right out the front door. Look, the song's over. And so are _we_."

Before Klaus could protest, Caroline was gone and he was left with empty air as Damon stared at him with his arm wrapped around the waist of the doppleganger of his temporary infatuation. Now, he knew for sure that he had not loved Katherine because Caroline, who had entered his bloodstream like no other before her, had his heart was breaking after mere hours in her presence. Pulling his mask off, he allowed it to drop to the floor as he walked up the stairs and locked himself away in his room. He knew he would not want company again until next year when he would think of a little blonde in a black vest with a radiant smile that illuminated the entire room.

Caroline was beyond pissed when she walked into the kitchen to find Matt, staring at the breakfast bar with a look of pure anger. She was not sure she had ever seen him this pissed before. "She said I was the hired help," he said.

"He lied about who he was," Caroline replied with a shake of her head.

"_Who_ needs them?" Matt asked and Caroline shook her head.

"Not _us_," Caroline replied. "He said he would get us help to take this stuff downstairs, but he's a liar."

"She's a snob," Matt said bitterly when three young men came into the room. "Can we help you?"

"We're here to help with any clean up or any clearing out of items from the party," one of the men said. "Mr. Mikaelson sent us."

"Uh, okay," Matt began to pick up a tray when one of the three took it.

"We were ordered that you two have already done your service for tonight. All you need to do is tell us where to put everything," man number three informed them and Matt and Caroline gave each other looks.

"Mr. Mikaelson," Caroline muttered as she pulled the mask she was wearing off and walked with Matt as they gave orders for the men to put everything away. Soon Matt was dropping her off at her apartment and she was taking off Rebekah's dress and placing it carefully on a hanger before going to bed. "Good night, Prince Mikaelson. I hope one day you discover who you _really_ are," Caroline whispered to herself.

At midnight on Halloween, Elena sat up in bed and then got up. She was careful to not disturb the man lying beside her. Walking over to her laptop, she fired it up and began to type. She wrote of a love that consumes and did not stop typing until she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her shoulders, a pair of lips placed light kisses moving down her neck and to her collarbone. "Good morning, Elena. I'm glad that I'm your muse but you need sleep unless you want to pass out on me again," Damon whispered into her ear and Elena grinned.

Turning off her laptop, Elena got up and followed Damon back to her bed. "I don't think that you would complain if I passed out on top of you, Mr. Salvatore."

"It depends on what your reasons were," Damon replied with a smirk as he pulled her down on top of him. She let out a laughing shriek as he nuzzled her shoulder and then pressed his lips to hers.

"I could get used to you," Elena whispered as Damon held her tightly.

"Good. 'Cause I don't plan on going anywhere," Damon replied and Elena giggled as he flipped them so he was on top. "I guess that was kind of sappy."

"Kind of," Elena replied but she didn't mind sappy. Not when she knew that this man made her heart beat quicken and her palms sweat just from one little smirk. She was just so very happy that she had finally found him.

Halloween, 2015:

Looking at Rebekah Mikaelson, Elena Gilbert tried to tell if her roommate and best friend in college was really alright. She claimed to be just fine as she walked around Klaus' house like she owned the place. Rebekah was smirking at the guests with a glass of champagne in one hand as she observed her date who was Damon's little brother, Stefan, who was speaking to a girl named Ivy. Stefan looked like he was glowing and Elena could kick herself as Damon wrapped his arms around her and slid his hands over her growing middle. "Hey, babe?" he murmured. "What are you doing?"

"Watching my matchmaking abilities become a _huge_ joke," Elena muttered sadly as Rebekah set her glass down.

Rebekah was suddenly walking toward the door and Elena groaned. She had really screwed up this time. "How about we call it a night and I take you home and rub your feet?" Damon whispered as he stroked Elena's temples and she moaned.

"Okay. I really hope that Bekah's night gets better," Elena said as Damon tugged her toward the door. She was also wondering about Klaus who had not bothered to greet them at the door and had grown a full beard. He had snapped at any girl who looked at him for longer than five seconds. Leaving the party, Elena stood close to Damon as he put an umbrella up above her head and they hurried to their car.

Rebekah looked like a drowned rat as she ran through the night. She arrived at Bennett catering company while rain poured down. Trying to open the front door, she found that no was there. What in the bloody hell? It was only, Rebekah looked at her wrist watch that had stopped at eleven fifteen. Damn. Banging lightly on the door, she attempted to see if anyone was still inside. "Hello?" she called when an older woman came to the door and opened it.

"Can I help you, child?" the woman asked as she peered at Rebekah suspiciously.

"I'm looked for Matt Donavon. I called but no one picked up. I'm sorry about the hour but I _really_ must talk to him," Rebekah said as she moved her plastered down hair from her face.

The woman shook her head. "I'm sorry, honey, but Matt doesn't work here anymore. He's a cop now," she said and that was all Rebekah needed to know as she took off down the sidewalk. "You _need_ an umbrella," the woman shouted but Rebekah was too far away.

Running as fast as she could down the streets, Rebekah stopped at three precincts before she found the one that Matt worked at. "I can try to see if he's here. But, sweetheart, if it ain't official business then you'll have to trick or treat somewhere else," a man said who had obviously spent his days in Dunkin' Doughnuts smiled up at her and Rebekah forced a smile in return.  
>"It <em>is<em>. I was robbed and Matt took the information but I remembered something that he needs to know. Now!" Rebekah snapped before the man got to his feet.

"_Anybody_ know where Donavon is tonight?" the man yelled while adjusting his belt.

"Right here," Matt called as he appeared with a fidgety man in handcuffs. "What's going on?"

Rebekah whirled around to face him and Matt just looked at her, not really knowing who she was. "Matt, it's _me_, Rebekah," she said breathlessly and he still stood, furrowing his brows. "We met at my brother, Nik's party," giving the cop at the desk a long look, Rebekah added. "I told you I had possibly been robbed by a cute catering boy. I think he stole my heart," she said with a smile that she figured was soppy but she couldn't help herself.

After a moment, Matt's eyes widened. "That was last year? You were the kid in the nightgown?" he said and laughed. "And now you look like a drowned rat," he told her and her cheeks flamed. "But in a good way. You look like a drowned rat in a _very_ good way. I'm getting off soon. Did you want to get a cup of coffee?"

"I _love_ coffee," Rebekah replied and then the other cops began to whistle and cat call as Matt rolled his eyes and grinned.

Halloween, 2019:

"Because you promised that you would go to my engagement party, Care," Matt told Caroline for what felt like the one billionth time and she glared at her reflection in the mirror. She did want to look sexy so she had dressed up as a nun. But thanks to that one season on _American_ _Horror_ _Story_, like a million years ago, apparently even nuns could look hot. Damn it.

Rolling her eyes, Caroline finally replied. "Yeah. Sure. _Whatever_. I thought you said she was a pampered princess with a bug up her -"

"_Caroline_!" Matt shouted. "I'm on speaker phone and Bekah is right _here_," Matt chastised his friend.

"I _know_," Caroline replied in a mocking tone as Rebekah scoffed and said something about her breeding before a door opened and closed loudly. "Just tell me that there will be someone worth a damn to meet tonight. I have not had one _good_ date since I dumped Enzo on his British behind." Why she had even started dating him in the first place was beyond her. It must have been the accent. She had a thing for accents since she had met… Nope. Not going there.

"Yeah, you can finally meet Elena's brother, Jeremy," Matt said cheerfully.

"I thought he was _in_ rehab," Caroline replied and then Matt didn't reply for a long time. "_Whatever_," she said drily.

After an hour Caroline was ready to go with her look made to perfection. She was going to be the epitome of a young Jessica Lange before Father What's his Face. Walking downstairs, she got in a cab and headed to the much dreaded home of the one and only, Klaus Mikaelson. Caroline didn't care. She was starring in a play on Broadway and did not have time for his bullshit.

Getting out of the car, Caroline walked toward the door to see Damon Salvatore helping his very pregnant wife out of their car. 'So much for a party without kids,' Caroline thought wistfully as she walked up the steps to find a tall man greeting the guests. His entire head was covered with a pumpkin and she wondered what in the hell he was supposed to be. "Hello, welcome to the party," he greeted Caroline.

Caroline smiled back tightly. "_Who_ are you?" she asked and the man stood up to his full height.

"I am Elijah Mikaelson," he replied slowly.

"Nice try, _Klaus_. I'm not falling for that gag twice," she snapped and glared up at him with her arms folding as the man greeted Damon and Elena over her shoulder. "Why can't you just _give_ up the act, huh?"

"_What's_ going on out here?" a brunette asked as she came to stand beside Klaus pretending to be Elijah. "Is this woman _bothering_ you?" she demanded, giving Caroline a lethal glare.

"No, Hayley. Please, go inside and have fun. I will handle this," Elijah/Klaus replied.

"You better leave my husband alone," Hayley snapped. "My sister-in-law is marrying cop," she snarled as the man pulled the pumpkin head off and Caroline gasped.

"You're _not_ Klaus," Caroline said, feeling so very stupid.

Hayley began to laugh. "How could you mistake Elijah for Klaus? They're like day and night. Klaus _is_ inside. He's the only one _not_ wearing a mask," she informed Caroline and soon Caroline was being led by the wife of Elijah Mikaelson into the house. Hayley pointed out Klaus, who was serving his guests in a catering uniform with a gracious smile.

Caroline's jaw dropped as she saw Klaus looking so… so… normal. He looked like anyone else. Except he was ten times hotter than any other guy at the party and those pants were killing her. And the vest that was clinging to his shoulders. And the shirt. 'Oh, God,' Caroline thought as she walked toward Klaus. Taking the tray from him, she handed it to Alaric who was there with his wife Jenna. "Hi," Caroline said shyly.

"Hello, Caroline," Klaus replied slowly with one of his classic smirks and then she grabbed him and kissed him like she had been looking for him all night. Yes, it was a very big screen movie cliché but she kind of liked clichés when it came to Klaus because he made everything new. "Dance with me, love," he murmured into her ear and soon they were waltzing around the room while they grinned like a couple of idiots at each other. "I finally took my mask _off_," he explained.

"Oh, and _what_ did you find?" Caroline inquired lightly.

"That I _no_ longer need one," Klaus replied and kissed her gently before sweeping her off her feet and carrying her out of the room and upstairs.

Elena Gilbert had to admit that this was one of the best Halloweens ever as Damon whisked her around the dance floor. All of her friends, and growing family, seemed to be happy while her babies were at home probably chowing down on chocolate and driving the sitter crazy. It was a good thing that they had two. "Do you think we should go home and make sure that Stef and Ivy are okay with the kids?"

"They can deal for another hour. Besides once Stef eats half the kids' candy then he'll be all hyped up and even crazier than they are," Damon whispered back.

"Poor Ivy," Elena said and then giggled. "Happy Halloween, Damon."

"Happy Halloween, my gorgeous wife/life," Damon replied as he dipped her slightly and she knew she had another book coming out in the Fall about Prince Charming and Snow White and their three little dwarves. She was sure it would turn into a classic as Damon twirled her about the room. God, she loved Halloween.

**Thanks for reading, faving, following and for reviewing, so, please do, be kind and review. Mhaw ha ha ha ha. Happy Halloweeeeeeeennnnnnnnn! **

**Peace,**

**Jessica**


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